Folding table



R. D. GOVER 0a.. a, 19s? FOLDING TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 19, 1966 FIG! FIG?) INVENTOR RUSSELL D. GOVER FIGZ R. D. GOVER FOLDING TABLE Oct. 3, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 19, 1966 EF H64 1 17 *5 H05 W T N E V N RUSSELL D. GOVER United States Patent 3,344,755 FOLDING TABLE Russell D. Gover, 97 Wise Ave., Baltimore, Md. 21222 Filed Aug. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 573,674 Claims. (Cl. 108-40) ABSTRACT OF THE .DISCLOSURE A folding wall-mounted table is mounted on the wall by a vertically swinging support that has a table top vertically swingable relative to the support. At its inner edge, the table top has an upright strip that fits under the lower edge of an upwardly extending panel, thereby both to brace the table top in its horizontal position and to seal the joint at the inner edge of the table top.

The present invention relates to folding tables, more particularly of the type that are wall mounted and swing vertically to fold against the wall so as to take up less room when not in use.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a folding table which provides firm support for heavy loads on all portions of its surface when in use.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a folding table which is desirably compact when folded against a wall.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a folding table having counterbalancing means that do not occupy a great deal of space.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a folding table which will be relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and to erect and to fold, and which will be rugged and durable in use.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of a folding table according to the invention;

FIGURES 2, 3, 4 and 5 are side elevational cross-sectional views showing successive steps in the folding of a table of the invention;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, showing a modified form of the invention;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIGS. 25, showing the arrangement of the pulley sheaves; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a releasable lock for holding the table in its erected position.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, there is shown a folding table according to the present invention, indicated generally at 1. Table '1 comprises a main upright panel 3 which is secured flat against a wall 5 by conventional fastening means (not shown). The table proper comprises a leaf 7 which in its operative position will be horizontal and will comprise a table top which may be of conventional shape. Fixed to its rear edge, that is, the edge that is next to the wall when the leaf is in its operative horizontal position, is a splash strip 9. Strip 9 is secured to the upper side of the table top and is perpendicular to the plane of the table top.

Leaf 7 is mounted for vertical swinging movement by means of a leaf carrier 11. In the illustrated embodiment, leaf carrier 11 is cut from main panel 3, thereby leaving a cutout 13 of approximately the size and shape of carrier 11. Carrier 11 has the general configuration of an hourglass, that is, its sides are waisted, so as to provide knee room. The upper and lower edges of leaf carrier 11 are horizontal. The lower edge is secured to main panel 3 below cutout 13 by means of a piano hinge 15, while the 3,344,755 Patented Oct. 3, 1967 upper edge of carrier 11 is secured for relative vertical swinging movement to the underside of leaf 7 by means of hinges 17.

It will accordingly be noted that leaf 7 is not only vertically swinging with, but also vertically swinging relative to, carrier 11, so that leaf 7 enjoys universal vertical swinging movement. It will also be noted that at least the lower portions of carrier 11 are actually disposed within cutout 13. During upward swinging movement of carrier 11, it tends to move back toward its original position whence it was cut out.

It is particularly to be noted that leaf carrier 11 in elfect provides a parallelogram linkage between leaf 7 and fixed panel 3. This is to say that the distance between the ends of hinge :15, and the distance between hinges 17, is so great that the tendency of leaf 7 to rack or twist relative to panel 3 is very small.

Secured to the upper portion of main panel 3 by connecting means (not shown) is an upper panel 19 which is generally coextensive with the upper end of main panel 3. Upper panel 19 has an exposed lower edge. Also secured to main panel 3 and extending forwardly therefrom below upper panel 19 is a plurality of locater dowels 21 which fit in correspondingly spaced holes 23 in the inner edge of leaf 7.

In the erected position of the table shown in FIG. 2, it will be noted that splash strip 9 fits snugly up against the lower edge of upper panel 19, and that dowels 21 are located in holes 23, while the rear edge of leaf 7 is against main panel 3 and leaf 7 itself is horizontal. In this position, which is the operative position of the table, the panel 19 and the dowels 21 between them provide a recess into which the rear portion of the leaf, including the splash strip 9, is disposed. This recess opens forwardly or outwardly, so that the rear portion of leaf 7 may be freely inserted into it and removed from it when the table is to be erected or folded, respectively, but so that vertical movement of the rear end of the leaf is prevented, because the rear end is firmly and snugly held in this recess.

In other words, looking at FIG. 2, it will be seen that a weight applied to the rear of the table, near the wall, will be resisted by dowels 21; while a weight applied to the free end of the table, at the left side of FIG. 2, will be resisted by the lower edge of upper panel 19, as the leaf will tend to swing counterclockwise about hinge 17.

Locking means are also provided for releasably retaining the table in the erected position of FIG. 2. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, this locking means takes the form of a lock 25 in the nature of a luggage lock, one portion of which is secured to a rear corner of leaf 7 and the other to the adjacent portion of main panel 3. It is of course to be understood that there will be a lock 25 on each side of the table. When the locks 25 are thus engaged, leaf 7 cannot move in any direction.

A counterweight 27 is provided for yieldably urging the table toward its folded position against the wall. counterweight 27 is carried by a flexible cable 29 that is reeved about pulleys 31 mounted on a bracket 33 which in turn is carried by the rear side of main panel 3. Wall 5 is cut out to receive bracket 33 and to permit movement of cable 29 in the various vertically swung positions of the table. counterweight 27 travels vertically within the confines of wall 5 and is thus out of the way and invisible and protected.

The various positions of the table of the present invention are shown in FIGS. 2-5, which represent the sequence of folding or collapsing the table from its operative position of FIG. 2 to its folded or collapsed position of FIG. 5. As can be seen in FIG. 2, splash strip 9 is in contact and vertical alignment with upper panel 3 19 so that strip 9 and panel 19 form in effect a continuous surface. In this way, liquids and finely divided solids are prevented from moving off the rear of the table and becoming trapped between the table and the wall. Locks 25 are secured so that no movement of the table can take place.

To fold the table, the locks 25 are unlocked to the position shown in FIG. 8, and the leaf is pulled forward to the position shown in FIG. 3. Leaf 7 is then swung up to the position shown in FIG. 4, and the table is folded against the wall to the position shown in FIG. 5. In this position, the underside of the rear of leaf 7 rests flat against the outer surface of upper panel 19. In order to preserve the parts in this position, under the influence of counterweight 27, a spacer chock 35 is provided on the underside of leaf 7 forwardly of hinges 17. Spaced chock 35 contacts the forward surface leaf carrier 11 in the position shown in FIG. 5, thereby to maintain a small acute angle between carrier 11 and leaf 7 such that leaf 7 will be as nearly vertical as possible and will thus be supported flat against upper panel 19.

A modified form of the invention is shown in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, instead of moving vertically within wall 5, the counterweight 27' moves within a casing 37 on the front of wall For this purpose, cable 29 is directed horizontally to the side and reeved over a pulley 31' carried within casing 37. This construction may be used when there are spacers between the wall studs, that would otherwise interfere with the free vertical movement of the counterweight within the wall. Similarly, other arrangements of cables and pulleys can of course be provided, so as to take advantage of the space available within or outside of the wall.

FIG. 6 also shows that it is not necessary to use luggage-type locks, such as 25 shown in FIG. 8. Instead, a hook 39 can engage with an eye 41 carried by casing 37, to the same effect as lock 25.

From a consideration of the foregoing disclosure, there- 7 fore, it will be evident that all of the initially recited objects of the present invention have been achieved.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in connection with preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, as those skilled in this art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a folding table adapted to extend outwardly from a wall and comprising a table top, a vertically swinging support pivotally secured adjacent to its lower end to a fixed structure, and means mounting the table top on the support adjacent the upper end of the support for vertical swinging movement relative to the support; the improvement comprising an upright strip carried by and extending lengthwise of and upwardly from the inner edge of the table top, and a fixed vertical panel having a horizontal lower edge so positioned that when the upper edge of said strip is disposed under and against the lower edge of said panel the table top is horizontal.

2. A folding table as claimed in claim 1, said strip and the inner edge of the table top being freely movable outward from said panel so that when said support is swung up to the folded position of the table, the outer edge of the table top swings downwardly until the table top is upright in front of and closely adjacent the support.

3. A folding table as claimed in claim 2, and spacer means on the underside of the table top to contact the forward side of said support in the folded position of the table to maintain the table top upright with the underside of a portion of the table top flat against the outer side of said panel.

4. A folding table as claimed in claim 1, and a larger panel on which said vertical panel is mounted, said larger panel having a cut-out recess therein, the lower portion of said vertically swinging support being disposed in said recess in at least the folded position of the table.

5. A folding table as claimed in claim 1, and horizontally extending locator pegs carried by one of said fixed structure and table top and selectively insertable in recesses in the other of said fixed structure and table top when the table top is horizontal and its inner edge is against the fixed structure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 960,213 5/1910 Williams 10848 1,849,446 3/1932 Bartlett 108-38 X 2,106,044 1/1938 Young 108-40 2,226,735 12/1940 Miller et al 10848 X 2,298,002 10/1942 Fay 108134 X 2,817,571 12/ 1957 Lee.

DAVID I WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner. CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Examiner. G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A FOLDING TABLE ADAPTED TO EXTEND OUTWARDLY FROM A WALL AND COMPRISING A TABLE TOP, A VERTICALLY SWINGING SUPPORT PIVOTALLY SECURED ADJACENT TO ITS LOWER END TO A FIXED STRUCTURE, AND MEANS MOUNTING THE TABLE TOP ON THE SUPPORT ADJACENT THE UPPER END OF THE SUPPORT FOR VERTICAL SWINGING MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE SUPPORT; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT STRIP CARRIED BY AND EXTENDING 